Page 76 of Love, Untangled

Pen dropped her gaze.

“I was in love once,” Leon murmured. “Nice gal, bubbly and full of smiles. Kind of like you, but I didn’t trust her—not to be faithful, not to really love me back. So I pushed her away.”

Pen swallowed, hating the dryness in her throat. “What happened to her?”

“She married a kind man. They had a few kids.”

Pen’s good eye widened. “That’s why you stayed away all those years.”

Leon nodded. “It hurt, to see what I could have had. Then she was gone. So there was no reason to leave my family’s house empty.”

Pen licked her lips. “Do you…do you wish you’d told her you still loved her?”

Leon met her gaze, his dark and filled with regret. “Every day.”

Chapter 39

Penelope

Carlo called her that evening. His voice sounded tired and filled with longing.

“The town, specifically the guys at Blazers, wanted to do something to help. Marvin suggested a barn raising.”

“Funny,” Pen said but her heart beat fast and light and a smile flirted around her lips. “The grannies told me you brought the idea to the fire department.”

“Those Hens are going to be the death of me,” Carlo muttered. “Fine. It was my idea. You need a barn and it’s a great team-building exercise for the crew.”

“You don’t need to keep doing things for me, Carlo,” Pen said, her tone stiff. She wanted to forgive him, she did. But she couldn’t forget his ugly words.

“I messed up, Sunshine. I know it. And I also know that grand gestures won’t solve the issue—I need to solve it. That’s why I told Adam that I don’t want to do any active fires but maybe I could help with fire investigations. That’s what I was doing more of in Tahoe, so it’s a good fit, keeps me as part of the team, but means I don’t have to go on the calls. And…” Carlo swallowed. “I, uh, started seeing my therapist again. Because I clearly have more work to do. To be the man you deserve.”

Penelope bit her lower lip, hard. Tears burned in her eyes. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that this time he’d work through his issues. But she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“The sheriff has my mother in custody,” Pen said instead.

“I know. I won’t pressure you, Sunshine. I just want you to know how many people care about you. How much we…I…care.”

Pen stared out toward the apple trees on his property. How she missed him. “Okay.”

Carlo blew out a breath. “This means a lot to me. Thank you.”

“You guys are doing me a favor. But I insist on paying for the materials.”

“I’ll cover—”

“No,” Pen interrupted. “This is my barn and I’ll pay for it. I don’t need grand gestures, Carlo. I need a man who treats me well. Right.”

She clicked off before she said anything else.

* * *

Two days later, the ring of hammers striking nails echoed through the yard, the murmur of masculine voices punctuated by a laugh or the whine of a saw. Pen set another pitcher of lemonade on the tray with the plastic cups and opened her kitchen door. Alpaca Man clomped out onto the porch, his footsteps hesitant as if unsure about the current happenings. Lydia peeked out from the corner of the house, refusing to get any closer. Her pregnancy had begun to show, and Pen was over the moon at the idea of babies.

Her life was full. She’d regained most of the money Nana had left her, and her mother was in jail—not just for arson and embezzlement, but also for the murder of Pen’s father and shooting Leon. So far, no evidence had turned up linking Serena to Garland’s death, but Pen wouldn’t be surprised if some was discovered. Justice had been served, but there were days when Penelope felt sad and angry and lost.

She turned back toward the controlled chaos and gasped.

Her eyes widened at the progress. Already, two walls were built and upright, held there by braces of two-by-fours shoved into the cleared dirt.

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